Enough
by Purple Dinosaur Bear
Summary: Jack was confused. Honestly, who wouldn't be, considering he just rose out of a random lake, and discovered he could freeze things at his will. He wasn't complaining though, after all, it was awesome. And then he learned he could fly. Not very well, but the wind was his friend. It taught him, and he clumsily made his way to the nearby village.


**Disclaimer : I do not own Rise of The Guardians. Dreamworks does.**

* * *

Jack was confused. Honestly, who wouldn't be, considering he just rose out of a random lake, and discovered he could freeze things at his will. He wasn't complaining though, after all, it _was_ awesome. And then he learned he could fly. Not very well, but the wind was his friend. It taught him, and he clumsily made his way to the nearby village. He didn't know why he was drawn towards the village, but it seemed familiar. Almost…_ nostalgic_. So when people walked through him, and no one noticed him, he became even more confused. Was he a ghost? All he knew was that it _hurt_, and he would _anything_ to not feel that again. And so he decided to leave the familiar village, and fly back to his lake.

* * *

Jack was lonely. After a few weeks, don't ask how he knew what a week was, he realized not a _single_ person could see him. Well besides the moon. However, even though no one could see him that one night, he still held hope. Maybe _someone_ there could see him. He was wrong. Every night he would travel there, hoping with everything in his heart that_ someone_ could _see_ him. That _someone _could _touch_ him.

After a week, he realized no one could. _Not a single person_. From the children to the adults, to the youngest to the oldest, it was like he didn't exist. But he did, didn't he?

* * *

Jack was excited. Finally, after months of isolation, someone _talked_ to him. It was a strange sort of elf, with pointy ears and dressed in a green leaf dress. It seemed mad, with its foot tapping.

"H-Hello?" Jack said, his voice shaky with disuse.

"What are you still doing here? It's spring, and I don't need your ice stopping spring from starting. So yeah, can you please leave? Thanks," the strange elf angrily stated.

Jack's excitement faded, and he felt disappointment set in. "What do you mean? This is my home. I can't just leave. Where do I go?"

For a second, the elf's eyes softened. "You must be new, huh? Well, you're a winter spirit, so you have to go spread winter across the world. You can't stay in one place forever, cause other seasons need to take place. Go somewhere else, where it's time for winter. Now, if you'll leave, I can finally start spreading my season."

"But I—"

"No, you need to leave, okay? I'm tired of waiting, and your ice has long overstayed its welcome. Not that it's welcome anyways, the villagers are freezing and starving to death. They need spring so they can live again."

Suddenly struck with the fact that he was hurting _his_ villagers, he hastily backed away. He saw the elf's angry eyes, and he turned with shame. He lifted his staff and flew away to somewhere he could hide, some place where the elf's piercing eyes wouldn't follow him.

* * *

Jack was depressed. He was somewhere in Antarctica, where he could mope in his sorrow without anyone noticing. Not that anyone noticed him in the first place. After two hundred years, and quite a couple run ins with angry seasonal spirits, he learned to avoid their violent acts. Even the moon wouldn't talk to him. The rest of the seasonal spirits all worked together, except for him.

_Winter spirits are loners. They're horrible, and they cause the death of our seasons. They are monsters. They are to be avoided. They have no feelings, and they feel no sorrow. After all, they like to be alone._

Jack let out a hollow laugh. If only he liked to be alone. No, being alone was only painful. Sure, it was nice to have peace and quiet, but it was horrible to have no one to talk to. Yes, he had the wind, who would always be his first friend, but the wind couldn't _speak_ or _touch_ him.

So, with these thoughts in his mind, he let loose his depression and buried himself in a storm.

* * *

Jack was curious. He rode the wind to the North Pole, after hearing another angry seasonal spirit say that they should complain the guardians about him. After requesting an answer in exchange for leaving immediately, the irritated spirit told him of the four guardians. And so, Jack left instantly, off in search of 'the magical workshop of North.'

Jack searched the North Pole for hours, until he finally saw glimmering lights in the distance. He hovered there in wonder, looking at the beautiful lights.

Then he wondered. If the outside looked that amazing, what about the inside? And so he made it his life goal to break into North's workshop.

It was going so well too, until some yeti picked him up and slammed the doors of the workshop in his face.

A couple days later, Jack finally gave up.

* * *

Jack was hurt. After he discovered the joys of playing with children, he put in all his effort into making sure the kids would have the best time ever playing in his snow. He made sure to make the snow extra soft, and freeze the lake even more solid than usual. He wasn't sure why, but some reminder in the back of his head told him to, just in case.

And every night, after hours of playing with the children in the snow, they would all leave. And once again, Jack was left by himself.

* * *

Jack was hopeful. Years after he met North, he met Bunnymund, another one of the famous guardians.

"Hello!" Jack brightly said as Bunnymund approached him.

"Look mate, I know you spread winter and everything, but can ya leave? It's Easter Sunday, and your snow is ruining Easter!"

"What? My snow makes things more fun. Do you know how many kids love the snow? It's fun!"

Just as Jack made that remark, two kids walked by with their heads hung low.

"Aw man, the snow is ruining the Easter Egg Hunt. Now how are we going to celebrate Easter? It's ruined!" the small boy mumbled.

"It's okay, at least we know now that the Easter Bunny isn't real. If he was, he would never let Easter be ruined like this…" the older girl comforted.

The two children walked through Bunnymund, and Jack could only see his stricken face. Bunnymund quickly turned to Jack, who stared wide eyed at him.

"I'm really sorry, Bunnymund, I never thought this would happen. I only meant to have fun—" Jack whispered.

"You know what, mate? You've ruined Easter! Now all these kids won't experience hope today! You've crushed their hopes!" Bunnymund yelled.

Once again, Jack turned and flew.

That day, the blizzard of '68 occurred.

* * *

Jack was thinking. After another day of playing with children, he leaned into one open window and listened to the mother of one of the children explain the concept of the moon to the kid.

"Mom, is the moon made out of cheese?" the tiny girl asked. "Julia said the moon was made out of cheese."

"No, silly, the moon is just a piece of rock in space."

And then Jack thought. If the moon was a piece of rock, then how did it speak to him?

Not for the first time, Jack thought he was insane.

* * *

Jack was irritated. After three hundred years, the Guardians decided to include him in their little group. After three hundred years of loneliness, they decided to include him like it was enough payment to repair their wrong doings.

Nothing would be enough.

* * *

Jack was angry. Tooth explained that they were people before they were Guardians.

_That meant he was a person_.

Relief spread through him.

He wasn't a monster.

Only one question burned in his mind.

_Why didn't the moon give him his memories back?_

* * *

Jack was guilty. After Sandy died, all he could think about was how he let Sandy down.

_You barely even knew him_… _You should be angry, after all, he didn't ever help you._

No, he didn't. But did it matter? Sandy had never crushed his dreams, not like North and Bunnymund.

_He still left you, like everyone else._

Jack curled up, and looked out the window. How could he think like that? Sandy was kind to him.

_I'm a monster, after all._

* * *

Jack was broken. After he was thrown into the pit of ice with Baby Tooth, with his treasured staff broken, he could only drown in his misery.

When Baby Tooth nudged his memories towards him, he felt shame burn his ears.

_All of this, just for his stupid memories?_

Still, he pressed the container of memories, and remembered.

* * *

Jack was happy. Someone could see him. A kid could see him.

And at that moment, Jack thought he could die without any regret.

* * *

Jack was content. After spending years as a guardian, he finally knew who he was.

That was enough.


End file.
